Making Jerky In an Electric Smoker

Just got a brand new electric smoker for my birthday and fathers day combined gift. I smoked some whole chickens last night which turned out amazing. I am wanting to make some beef jerky for an upcoming camping trip and need advice or instructions on how to do this.

First Question is what kind of beef is best to use. I have a butcher that I frequently buy meat from and can get just about any cut. What will be the best bang for my buck as not to break the bank?

Second question is there a wet marinade out there that I can just soak the meat in and pat dry with paper towels to place directly into the smoker without having to use any kind of cure?

And lastly what temperature do i set my smoker and for how long do i smoke the meat?

Cut your roast up, eliminate any fat on the slices. Fat does not dry and will go rancid during the drying cycle.

Now put your meat slices and marinade in a zip lock bag, squeeze out all of the air, seal the bag, place in a fridge overnight.

Next day, get smoker going, best to using a AMNPS for the smoke part, as at low temps, you cannot get smoke from the chips. Set smoker to about 150, put slices on racks or hang from racks (Last time I smoked Jerky, I used wooden skewers, placed the meat on these, then set the meat hanging trough the rack. That worked out well) Smoke for first couple of hours, vent wide open. Then leave at that temp for as long as it takes to dry to consistency.

Also, use this search term 'how to make Jerky using a smoker' on the YouTube search engine, and you will find lots of videos showing you how to make Jerky in a smoker.

The meat temp needs to get to a min of 160°F for safety especially since you are not using cure. After that you can reduce the heat if you desire. Probably the best Jerky is made from the cuts of the Round, back leg, they are lean and won't break the bank. Slice no more than 1/4". Some slice across the grain but if thoroughly dried so it does not need refrigeration, can be crumbly with a grainy texture. Jerky sliced with the grain requires a little more jaw work but can be dried to the point that it keeps well...JJ